Why You Should Set Your Priorities

Contributed by Wardah Noor

Disclaimer: The Eqbal Ahmad Centre for Public Education (EACPE) encourages critical and independent thinking and believes in a free expression of one’s opinion. However, the views expressed in contributed articles are solely those of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the EACPE.

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It is often said that life is like a journey, and we all are travelers. The road or path, which we opt to reach at our destination, can be compared with priorities that we set in life.

Priorities mean a lot in one’s life. No matter in which phase of life you are, you must set your priorities. Having no priorities is like living a life without any definition, dream or goal. Once you set your priorities, you have a path to walk on. Most people don’t have any defined priorities in life. Let’s see how setting priorities could help someone.

  • You are well aware of your day-to-day goals

Ever experienced the state, when you wake up in the morning and have no idea what to do first today? During a day, you have a lot of options, like someday there is a function in family and you have a very important task somewhere else or funfair in your college or university as well. And you are really confused what to choose and what to skip. But if you were clear about your priorities, you must be very clear of your day-to-day decisions and goals: whether it’s time to enjoy with family or it’s time to give best to your other task.

  • You are clear about your choices

Every time you discuss your choice of anything with others they often discourage and reply how it’s not good because of one reason or the other, and you feel like clueless. But once you are clear about your priorities you will see that their advice will not confuse you anymore. For instance, if you’re clear about your choice of future career, you will plan your selection of subjects accordingly, and have a clearheaded line of action. In such a case, other’s opinions and random suggestions won’t confuse you. However, if your priorities are not clearly set, then your mind will keep feeling confused on listening to others. Hence, one of the important advantages of setting one’s priorities is that one become very clear while making decisions.

  • You become smart enough

Some time ago, I read somewhere that smart people respond more quickly. But how to become smart enough? The easiest way I found is to set your priorities before going to any new place or before interacting with others. When priorities are clear, you know how to respond. Usually, we don’t encounter complex questions interacting with new people. They are complex when your priorities are not set. But once they are set you will feel confident and find it easy to interact with new people. You will never hesitate going to a new places and interacting with others.

Like when I came to hostel, I set my priority not to take notice of petty or less important things to avoid distraction from my studies. Therefore, when I encountered something unpleasant in my hostel life, I responded easily to different happenings at hostel, instead of reacting and wasting my time and energy.

  • You wake up enthusiastically, everyday

We face different situations in life. Some are exciting, and some are bit stressful. For instance, when you have a planned family trip, you are very enthusiastic. You know what you are going to do today and feel y happy. While in case of annual exam, you are a bit nervous but determined as well to enter in next phase of your life after winning this challenge.  You know it’s going to be tough momentarily, but rewarding in the long run. In the same manner when your priority of the day is set, you feel determined to meet and great challenges to defeat them and be rewarded. Challenges don’t seem like obstacles anymore, and you face them seeking new opportunities.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

(Stephen Covey)

Now, the question is what should one’s priorities be? Well, that may vary individual to individual. I can’t set priorities of your life. You have to set it yourself. For instance, to me, my first and foremost priority is to remain happy in every situation. My happiness isn’t affected by other circumstances. I’m alive in this moment, so it’s enough reason to be happy. For my future goals, say about my studies and career, I’ve already written all my top priorities in my diary. And priorities of daily routine are all set up in my brain. I would suggest my readers to try the same, and at least once write your top/basic priorities on a paper.. It will help programming your mind and life’s choices, and hence, it will have a dramatic effect in your life.


Contributed by Wardah Noor

The writer has recently done her F.Sc (Pre-Medical). She is a bright student, who seeks to get doctorate degree first and then to become prime minister of Pakistan and serve the country.

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